ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the primary emphasis on the usefulness, value, and relevance of the long-term carcinogenesis bioassay toward avoiding, reducing, and preventing carcinogenic risks to humans. With respect to long-term carcinogenesis studies to identify potential human carcinogens, the momentum of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s has been slowed in the 1990s. Throughout the history of chemical carcinogenesis, experimental animal bioassay results have been viewed both as being beneficial to public health for identifying chemical carcinogens and as predicting carcinogenic risks to humans. The chapter illustrates the last two decades of chemical carcinogenesis testing efforts, and outlines the initiatives and findings of the National Cancer Institute and the National Toxicology Program. The International Agency for Research on Cancer also prepares an ideal companion to the Monographs, the PHS 149 series, and the National Toxicology Program technical reports: the Directory of Agents Being Tested for Carcinogenicity.
